ENROLLED
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 335
(Senators Beach and Prezioso, original sponsors)
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[Passed March 12, 2011; in effect ninety days from passage.]
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AN ACT to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §8-12-5f, relating to
authorizing Class I and Class II municipalities to regulate
taxicabs and taxi stands by ordinance.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §8-12-5f, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 12. GENERAL AND SPECIFIC POWERS, DUTIES AND ALLIED
RELATIONS OF MUNICIPALITIES, GOVERNING BODIES AND
MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; SUITS AGAINST MUNICIPALITIES.
§8-12-5f. Regulation of taxicabs and taxi stands.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of article two, chapter
twenty-four-a of this code, the governing body of a Class I or
Class II municipality that includes a land grant university
enrolling at least twenty thousand students may, by ordinance,
regulate taxicabs and taxi stands within the corporate limits of
the municipality.
(b) The regulations shall be limited to the following:
(1) Requirements for the condition of the taxicabs;
(2) The location of taxi stands;
(3) Background checks for taxi drivers;
(4) Drug Testing for taxi drivers;
(5) Violations of regulations adopted pursuant to this section
for which citations may be issued and penalties imposed;
(6) The requirement that a taxicab company place a sign,
visible to passengers, in the taxicab which contains contact
information which passengers may use to make complaints about the
taxicab company or its taxi drivers. The municipality may assist
passengers in resolving complaints, and shall forward complaints to
the public service commission in the event that further action is
needed; and
(7) Requirements for safety inspections of the taxicabs.
(8) Requirements to improve reliability of service.
(c) This section is not intended to increase the number of
operators or owners of taxicabs and taxi stands.